Everything you need to know about smart TV

Lots of devices are described as ‘smart’ these days. The rise of internet connectivity, the so-called Internet of Things, means that items as diverse as your fitness tracker and your fridge can now be online.

A smart TV is one that’s connected to the internet. This allows you to access catch-up services like BBC iPlayer and the ITV Hub without the need for a separate box or dongle and no need to watch on a smaller computer or tablet screen.

Internet connectivity also means you can access online-only services like Netflix and Amazon Prime offering a range of movies and TV shows you can’t get elsewhere. Sky has committed to making many of its channels available over the net without the need for a dish in the near future too.

Smart TVs have a web browser too, so you can access YouTube and other websites from the comfort of your sofa. Most also allow you to load additional apps to access services such as your social networking accounts on Facebook and Twitter.

You’ll need a reasonably fast internet connection too. Around 15 Mbps is needed to get decent results from streaming services. If you have fibre you should be fine but if you’re on a normal ADSL connection you may want to check using one of the online speed testers before you commit to buying a smart TV. Check your service package too. If the amount you can download each month is capped you might find yourself being hit with extra charges as streamed video files can be quite large.

Smart TVs are available from most of the major electronics companies, so shop around and compare the features on offer. If you want to keep your existing TV you can still go smart by adding a streaming box like NowTV or Google Chromecast, and many hard drive recorders now have connectivity too.